Monthly Gardening Tips

Each Month, we prepare a list of things you can do in your garden.

Fall is here. These are the things generally you need to do for your garden.

September should bring relief to gardens in the Northern Hemisphere and signal the start of a new season for gardeners in areas that have been too warm for anything but the tropical, as well as southern hemisphere gardeners. So whether you are beginning the process of putting your garden to bed or gearing up for a fresh start, September can be one of the busiest months in the garden. Let's just hope the weather cooperates.

	Stop pruning and fertilizing
	Bring summer vacationing houseplants back indoors while the windows are still open. Check carefully for hitchhiking pests
	Start fall clean-up in the flower beds, cutting back anything that has finished blooming or is diseased
	Take cuttings to over winter indoors
	Watch for frost warning and cover tender plants
	Photograph your gardens and containers for a record of the year's triumphs and frustrations
	Give the compost a last turn

Flowers and Other Ornamental Plants

	Divide and move perennials
	Dig and store tender bulbs like: dahlias, caladiums, cannas and tuberous begonias
	Start planting spring flowering bulbs

Vegetables

	Harvest remaining vegetables, including green tomatoes. (Tips for ripening green tomatoes.)
	Wait for a hard freeze before harvesting brussel sprouts
	Pick herbs for drying or freezing
	Cure winter squash for storage. Place in a cool, sheltered shady spot for about 1 month.

Fruit

Clean up fallen fruit

Trees & Shrubs

Plant trees and shrubs. Keep well watered, if there isn't sufficient rain.